It's Circumstantial
by xObsidian
Summary: By some odd turn of circumstances, Lucius sends Draco Malfoy to live with Harry Potter over the summer. The boy isn't expecting the miserable and abusive life that Harry has, and slowly comes to realize who the Boy Who Lived is truly like.
1. The Note

Draco had a smirk on his face, as per usual. Hands cupping his chin as he observed the student, he listened to sounds in the Great Hall. He looked up right at the last moment to see that Harry was looking at him and he offered him a sneer. He noticed that he had been getting stared at a lot lately, and some day this week, he was going to find out why. This time, though, the look Harry gave him was different. He usually got looks of hatred and disgust, but this look was something Draco couldn't read. Moments later, his question was answered in the form of an owl.  
Picking the envelope up, he slid a finger inside the flap and gently ripped it open. Glancing over it once, his face fell. Draco stared at the note from the headmaster in his hand. No. This wasn't happening. It couldn't happen...  
"Dear Mr. Malfoy,  
I have sent you this note to inform you that, per request of your father, you are to go home and spend the summer with Mr. Harry Potter. He has asked me to tell you that his reasoning behind this arrangement will be revealed in a letter from Lucius himself upon arrival at the house of Mr. Potter. He expects the best from you.  
Regards,  
Albus Dumbledore."

The blonde Slytherin scoffed at the letter before crumpling it up and tossing it to the ground. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked down and sighed. His father had better have a VERY good reason for this. Suddenly realizing he was in the Great Hall, he looked up and straightened his face rather quickly to avoid questioning. The last thing Draco wanted was for someone to find out about this, especially a Slytherin.  
Standing up from the table, he excused himself quietly and looked at the Gryffindor table, finding Harry's eyes. His own narrowed and his head twitched towards the exit of the Hall. He hoped Harry would understand. By the look on Potter's face, he knew- and had known for quite some time. So why had't Draco? This was all too sudden for him. He liked to have plans and know what was going to happen; he never had been a spontaneous person. As he stepped out the door into a corridor, he leaned against the wall and sighed deeply.

The blonde heard the door push open but he didn't so much as blink. All he seemed to be able to do was stand there and sigh.

He stood up and turned to Ron and Hermione.

"Hey, I'll be back, guys. I've, er...got something to do. "

Walking into the corridor, he looked around until he saw Draco leaning by a blonde heard the door push open but he didn't so much as blink. All he seemed to be able to do was stand there and sigh.

Harry walked over to the blonde, a bite in his voice when he spoke.

"So, what's going on? What's your father's purpose by doing all of this?"

The second Draco heard the Gryffindor's voice he became suddenly very...angry. He looked up with a fierceness in his eyes and slammed Harry against the opposite wall.

"I wish I bloody knew, Potter! You think I enjoy this? My father better have a DAMNED good reason for doing this!"

He released Harry, quietly speaking to the floor.

"Though I suppose if either of us are going to live thru this, we better learn to live with each other."

He looked up, an unreadable expression on his face.

"That's not an invitation to befriend me, Potter. Don't get your hopes up. NOBODY can find out about this, understand?"

Harry's glare deepened.

"Do you think I want all of this to happen? Its_ your_ father who asked us to live together. And it was _you,_ not me, who brought this all up. You think I would want somebody to find out about this? Watch your mouth, Malfoy."

Draco's eyes narrowed at Harry's sassiness.

"Are _you_ telling _me_ what to do, Potter?" A sneer crossed his lips.

"I've bet you've already told the Weasel and the Mudblood. Keep it that way or you'll find yourself hexed into next year."

He heard footsteps coming down the hall and he simply looked at Harry with the same unreadable expression.

"I can't be seen talking to you. People will start to suspect things. Remember what I told you."

With that, Draco picked up his bag once again and began walking up the steps, leaving Harry fuming behind him. He walked and walked, to the one place he could be alone- the Room of Requirement.

Upon entering, he slumped against the doorway. Draco had such an...odd feeling about all of this. He should be furious, but he wasn't. A little angry, perhaps, but not furious. Since the first time he met Harry, he had only wanted to befriend him. When he was denied, it was then that he turned cold and heartless. He sat back and watched, jealous.

At the same time, he was almost looking forward to it. Almost. He'd always hated the holidays with his family. His father was abusive and his mother kept gone and busy to avoid Lucius for the same reason. For once, he wouldn't be getting the daily beating from his father. For a single summer, he was free. It was then that Draco realized what he was looking forward too. Freedom. After all this time, the one thing that he hated the most was the one thing that could set him free.

* * *

[Well, how was that? Tell me what you think! I'll try to update soon!

xoxo, Gabe]


	2. Meeting the Durselys

He sat on the window seat in the room for quite some time before he realized that he actually had classes to attend to. Sighing and recomposing himself to his usual scowl, he headed out of the door to the room.

The final day of classes were mostly filled with things that they didn't necessarily need to know, but what the professors though would make the students anxious for the next term. With an extremely dull and uninterested look on his face, he listened to the professor drone on and on about how Amorentita was a very complex and the most dangerous potion in the room simply because it was the strongest love potion in the world.

Love. Draco didn't quite know the meaning of love. He had never felt it for anyone, never been given it as a child. What exactly was love? Did it even exist? Perhaps, but not in Draco's life. Pansy claimed to love Draco; they all knew it was because he was a pureblood. Their families expected it of them. How could you expect something that you were never given in the first place?

* * *

Draco made a very large effort to sit as far away as possible from Harry while still being able to see him. No doubt he'd be sitting with those two idiots until they got off the express. God, he hated himself. He hated that he was actually mildly excited about this. He was such a pathetic excuse for a Malfoy.

Feigning a very disinterested look, he rest his chin in his hand and stared out of the car he sat in with Blaise and Pansy. He'd mastered faking interest in them long ago. He nodded his head and laughed at the right times. His mind had been somewhere else since 4th year. Ever since he made the bet with his father about who would win the Triwizard tournament and he voted on Harry.

Draco saw Harry's emerald orbs searching for him and for a moment he looked away and out of the widow of the car he was sitting in. The countryside was fading fast- an indication that they were nearing the station. His suspicion was confirmed by students standing up and grabbing things they had taken on the train with them. Draco let out a heavy sigh and picked up his bag.

Soon enough, the train pulled into the station and students were saying final goodbyes. Once the train had stopped, Draco had made a quick exit. He leaned against a stone pillar on the platform, eyes cast downwards, a frown on his face. He hoped no one would notice the tall figure of his father wasn't there this time. The blonde stood there for what seemed like forever waiting on most of the students to disappear. It seemed like another forever before he looked up and saw Harry walking towards him. Grabbing his bag from the ground, he walked towards Harry.

"Are you finally ready to leave, Potter?"

Harry simply frowned at Draco.

"Unfortunately. Let's go before someone sees us. "

Harry walked ahead of him, thru the platform, and into the real station. Draco sluggishly followed behind him.

He saw Harry point to a group of three people standing by an old looking car.

"That's my family." said Harry and paused for a moment as if he was thinking.

"You ought be civil with them. They don't appreciate anything about magic being spoken or shown in their house. If I were you, I'd stay away from my cousin, Dudley."

Draco scoffed at seeing the rather heavy-set people Harry called family.

"Are they even aware I'm coming, Potter?"

The blonde smirked to himself. Oh, muggles are so fun to torment. He could only imagine the fun he'd have with this lot.

Harry didn't answer.

"No matter. Let's go then."

He took off swiftly, advancing towards the three people next to the car much ahead of Harry. As soon as he reached them, he looked straight into the man's eyes.

"Hello," he said cooly.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but you'll be housing me for the summer and if you give me any kind of trouble..."

Draco paused to gently finger his wand in front of the trio.

"I won't hesitate to use this."

With his last remark, he threw his bag into the back seat and sat down.

By the time Harry had reached the car, looking quite terrified, the man looked almost the exact colour as a plum. Draco thought he might explode.

The man issued a growl and shoved Harry into the car rather roughly.

"You've got some explaining to do, boy! Quite a lot of it!"

As the trio got into the car, Harry hissed at Draco under his breath.

"Great going, Malfoy. Really great."

Draco simply offered him his most innocent smirk.

"What did I do?"

The blonde laughed to himself, seeing that it was talking all of Harry's willpower not to punch Draco in the face.

* * *

[So there we go. Sorry this chapter is kinda blah. I lost my muse for about a week and just recently got it back! Anyways, I hope it wasn't _too_ bad. Tell me what you think!

xoxo, Gabe.]


	3. Arrival

Dudley looked at Draco after he had climbed into the car. He looked at his father a frightened expression on face.

"Daddy, make him stop." said Dudley in a frightened tone.

Vernon leaned down to look at Draco.

"You better keep that to yourself, boy." growled Mr. Dursley with a harsh tone.

Harry turned to Malfoy and gave him a warning look.

"You better keep your wand." He muttered into Draco's ear.

Draco felt Harry's breath tickle his ear when he whispered to him and mentally slapped himself for closing his eyes. He wasn't going to let him catch on he wasn't against this anymore. Not in the slightest. Instead, Draco tried to act disgusted and press himself against the door of the car to avoid touching Harry. When he was as close as he could get, he smirked to himself and looked at Harry.

"And which wand are we talking about here, Potter?"

The blonde amused himself so much sometimes. Really, all he wanted to do in saying that was make the muggles feel uncomfortable. He thought he was succeeding rather well. The man driving had turned a slightly red shade and the boy Harry called Dudley looked like he had just been slapped.

"What I meant," Harry said with an unamused tone, "Is your _magic _wand. Keep it up and we'll starve for a week."

That was a wrong move on Harry's part. Draco broke into a grin and laughed a bit to himself.

"I dunno, Potter. They're both pretty magical if you ask me."

Harry stared at Draco for a moment, not quite knowing what to say to that. He eventually decided to say nothing and looked out the window as much as he could, remembering last summer. He let a word carelessly slip about flying and had ended up without food for an entire week. His thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt change in scenery. Muggle houses now lined the streets, lamposts standing like guards in front of them. Draco's voice brought him out of his mild daze.

"I doubt we'll starve. I am 17 now, Potter. I'd like to think I know enough about transfiguration to transfigure food if necessary."

He turned to look out if the window. The houses passed by quickly and he frowned a bit. This was kind of a drab place to live. He really hoped that at least the house Harry stayed in was a bit nicer than these. His mind started to wander. What kind of place _did_ Harry live in? He always expected him to live in such a grand house where his every need was catered to in one form or another. He never expected this...dank neighbourhood they were driving thru. Perhaps he had been wrong. He was definitely proven wrong when they pulled into the drive of a home that was agreeably nicer than the surrounding, but still not par to what Draco had expected.

"You live here, Potter?" He asked, mildly amused. "I expected something...better."

Harry snorted. "It's small, but it's comfortable for muggles like them. It's a horrible place really. Then again, they're horrible people."

Regardless, it was Harry's place to live for 3 months out of every year and he had just gotten used to it.

"But I hope they'll be a lot nicer when you're around." Harry offered as he helped Draco get his trunk out.

Draco stepped out of the car. His voice was softer than he'd like to have sounded when he spoke to Harry.

"I can handle my things by myself, Harry."

He took his trunk from Harry's hands and stood by the car waiting for him to finish. He might be rude, but he wasn't going to walk into someone's house without them. The blonde kicked at the ground a bit before suddenly stopping. _No._ A little too late he realized what he had done. Yes, Draco Malfoy had called Harry Potter by his first name for the first time in his life. For the billlionth time that day, he mentally slapped himself. If his mental slaps were real, he'd be just as bad as his father by now.

Harry stopped when he heard his first come out of Draco's mouth. Harry turned to Draco, small pink roses blooming on his cheeks.

"You called me Harry..." said Harry, running a hand thru his already unruly black hair.

He stood there for a moment before shaking his head. He walked pass him to the front door.

"Let's just go in. I'll show you the room." said Harry.

Draco followed Harry up the stairs to a rather small room. His heart sank when he noticed there was one bed that took up most of the room. It dropped even further when he realized unless he slept on the floor, there wouldn't be enough room in the small space for Draco to sleep alone.

"Don't tell me I have to sleep in the same room _and_ bed as you."

Harry shot him a look. "Unfortunately, unless you'd like to sleep in a cupboard or on my floor, yes. You do. Don't act like I don't hate it as much as you do. I'm sure I hate it more."

Draco scoffed. "You obviously don't know much about the Malfoy standards. We strive for luxury."

Green eyes rolled up to the ceiling. "Best drop that dream as fast as you can, Malfoy. You sure as hell won't get it here."

* * *

[Wow, this never happens. I uploaded fast. GOTTA GO FAST. God. Enjoy my shit writing!

/OLLIES INTO SPACE

xoxo, Gabe.]


End file.
